MEDIACOM PARK, N.Y. & JERSEY CITY, N.J.—OpenVault has announced that Mediacom Communications is using OpenVault’s Profile Management Application (PMA) technology to optimize broadband Quality of Experience (QoE) and improve consumer satisfaction to new heights. 

The two companies said that Mediacom is implementing OpenVault’s industry-leading PMA solution to drive peak levels of available bandwidth and network performance for subscribers using DOCSIS 3.1 or higher modems. 

“Our goal throughout the broadband era has been to keep our Xtream internet capabilities ahead of customer expectations,” said J.R. Walden, senior vice president of technology and CTO for Mediacom. “OpenVault PMA ensures that we continue to maintain our competitive edge by giving our subscribers an outstanding experience whenever they are online.”

“As speeds have risen across the board, broadband providers have increasingly prioritized Quality of Experience as well,” said Mark Trudeau, CEO and founder of OpenVault. “Mediacom has been a leader in using OpenVault technology innovation to ensure that their subscribers get the internet quality they expect and deserve.”

OpenVault’s OV PMA optimizes modulation profiles used by DOCSIS 3.1 or higher cable modems on OFDM(A) channels. It then routinely monitors and adjusts these profiles based on changing RF impairments, to ensure that subscribers receive the best possible service quality. This results in improvement of up to 40 percent in overall network capacity and bolsters the resilience of DOCSIS 3.1 modems, particularly in the presence of impairments.

CommScope is reporting that Mediacom Communications has deployed the CommScope Manifest Delivery Controller (MDC) for IP video. By implementing the CommScope MDC, Mediacom can increase its advertising revenue with more finely targeted ads while ensuring a high-quality IP video experience for subscribers, the companies said. 

“We chose CommScope’s MDC because it’s a scalable, reliable and resilient solution that preserves the quality of video we deliver to our subscribers, and because of CommScope’s proven agility in adapting to Mediacom’s existing systems and requirements,” stated JR Walden, CTO of Mediacom. “This solution will enable us to do more individualized advertising which will lead to increased value for our customers.”

This MDC adoption further extends CommScope’s leadership in the Pay TV Advertising space. CommScope supplies advertising solutions to service providers that reach more than 75% of North American cable STBs and deliver billions of ads each month over IP video to customers representing more than 30 million Pay TV subscribers.

“MDC gives Mediacom more control over its ad targeting while improving the overall viewing experience,” stated Ray Bontempi, vice president product management, Access Network Solutions, CommScope. “Additionally, MDC provides a complete Streaming Session Management platform that supports other services, including emergency alerts, bandwidth management, and alternate content, offering Mediacom new options for optimizing revenue and maintaining a high-quality viewing experience.”

MEDIACOM PARK, N.Y.—Mediacom Communications is now making the Xumo Stream Box available to its Xtream Internet customers at no additional monthly cost.

Mediacom announced last fall that it would be deploying the Xumo Stream Box, which was developed as part of the Xumo joint venture between Comcast and Charter. The 4K streaming device powered by Comcast’s newest entertainment experience, Entertainment OS. 

Mediacom joins Charter and Comcast as the third U.S.-based cable operator to offer Xumo Stream Box to its customers.

The deployments illustrate how cable operators are embracing streaming technologies and working to strengthen the value of their very profitable broadband offerings with streaming services at a time when traditional pay TV packages continue to decline in popularity and their broadband services face increased competition from fixed, 5G wireless services. 

“Xumo Stream Box is an incredibly versatile and consumer-friendly technology that seamlessly integrates our market leading broadband speeds with a world class streaming experience,” said Tapan Dandnaik, Mediacom’s senior vice president of operations, product strategy and consumer experience. “We are thrilled to be among the first companies to bring this cutting-edge device to market.”

With Xumo Stream Box, Mediacom’s Xtream Internet Customers can search for a show or movie by saying its name into the included voice remote, and Xumo Stream Box will search across available apps and services to find it. The Xumo Stream Box also uses both AI-driven personalization and a team of editors to surface content recommendations within the experience, helping customers find something to watch without having to jump in and out of apps.

The built-in channel guide allows users to brows through Xumo Play’s 300+ channels spanning live local and national news, movies, sports, reality shows, crime TV, kids programming and more. It also comes preloaded with hundreds of streaming apps, no need for customers to download before they watch. They can simply say the name of the streaming service into the voice remote, and Xumo Stream Box will find and launch it.

With “My List,” Xtream customers can also build personalized viewing lists for every member of the family. 

More information is available at mediacomcable.com/products/xumo/. 

PHILADELPHIA, Penn.—The Xumo joint venture between Comcast and Charter has announced that Mediacom Communications, the nation’s fifth largest cable operator, will begin offering Xumo Stream Box to its Xtream Internet customers in the coming months. 

In addition to Charter’s Spectrum and Comcast’s Xfinity, Mediacom will be the third U.S.-based operator to offer Xumo Stream Box to its customers.

"Mediacom’s decision to partner with Xumo further validates the unique value proposition we can offer to operators looking to maintain an entertainment-centric relationship with customers as they migrate to streaming video,” said Michael Gatzke, senior vice president, affiliate development, Xumo. “By partnering with Xumo, Mediacom can offer its broadband customers a great 4K streaming device with award-winning voice navigation so they can stream more, easily finding what they want to watch.”

Mediacom said it will offer Xumo Stream Box to Xtream Internet customers interested in accessing a wide array of free ad supported television (FAST) programming combined with easy access to popular streaming platforms. 

“Through our partnership with Xumo, we will be able to significantly enhance the value of our broadband services by combining our market leading-speeds with a new world-class streaming experience,” said Tapan Dandnaik, Mediacom’s senior vice president of operations, product strategy and consumer experience. “Xumo Stream Box is incredibly versatile and consumer-friendly, and we are excited to be among the first companies to bring this cutting-edge device to market.” 

Xumo Stream Box will make it simple for Mediacom Xtream Internet customers to quickly jump into their favorite live or on-demand streaming content. It also offers an easy way to discover new programming through an integrated, content-forward interface and voice remote.

Xumo Stream Box is the latest device powered by Comcast’s EntertainmentOS. Entertainment OS is the culmination of decades of content aggregation experience across Comcast, combining the innovative UI technology of Sky Glass and the search and discovery features inherent to platforms like Xfinity X1 and Xfinity Flex.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa—Mediacom Communications has announced the company has begun transitioning its Iowa operations to the new 10G  Platform that the cable industry has been touting as the next generation of broadband services with much faster internet speeds and reliability. 

Mediacom reported that consumers in West Des Moines will be among the first to enjoy the immediate benefits  from 10G with 2x-to-10x faster upload speeds, new  symmetrical speed offerings, increased energy efficiency, lower latency, faster troubleshooting, and greater network reliability.  

The scalability of the 10G Platform will seamlessly allow Mediacom to ramp up from the 1-gigabit offerings of today to speeds of 10 gigabits per second and beyond in the coming years, the company said. 

In addition, it will be able to deliver the new 10G technology using Mediacom’s existing network architecture and the  connections already installed at most customers’ homes, which means that it won’t have to dig up yards, bury new cable or add bulky equipment.   

“We are incredibly excited to kick off the transition of Mediacom’s Iowa network to the game changing 10G Platform,” said Steve Purcell, Group VP of Mediacom’s Capitol Region. “This  breakthrough technology is specifically designed to stay ahead of the ever-growing demand for  consumer connectivity with minimal disruption to the lives of our customers.” 

With over 30% of the West Des Moines market already upgraded, Mediacom expects to finish the  rollout of the 10G platform across West Des Moines by the end of July 2023. Additional 10G markets will be announced at a later date.  

Mediacom reported that as communities are upgraded to the 10G Platform, new and existing customers will be able to take advantage of the following speed enhancements in its broadband products: 

• Internet 100 becomes Internet 100 Symmetrical as upload speeds receive a 10x increase  from 10 megabits per second (Mbps) to 100 Mbps.
• Internet 300 upload speeds gain a 5x speed boost from 20 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
• Internet 600 upload speeds get over a 3x speed boost from 30 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
• Internet 1 Gig upload speeds double from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps.
• New Internet 1 Gig Symmetrical tier introduced with speeds of 1000 Mbps down by 1000  Mbps up. 

HICKORY, N.C.—CommScope has inked an agreement with Mediacom Communications to provide technologies for the operators migration to a Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) based on Remote MACPHY. 

The announcement builds on the companies’ successful partnership trialing the CommScope Remote PHY solution—including E6000 CCAP Core, OM6000 node, Remote PHY Device (RPD), and Video Unified Edge (VUE)—as a part of a complete end-to-end system of CommScope DAA solutions in Mediacom’s milestone 10G Smart Home field trial in Ames, Iowa, the companies said. 

“CommScope is a trusted partner that has successfully powered our groundbreaking 10G Smart Home and subscriber trial with their end-to-end Remote PHY solution over the last couple of years,” stated JR Walden, CTO, Mediacom, the fifth largest cable operator in the U.S. “With the confidence we’ve gained with CommScope solutions, we’re ready to take the next step to Remote MACPHY with the RD2322 RxD to achieve a new level of capacity and latency performance for our subscribers. CommScope’s flexible solutions have allowed us to take advantage of our installed base of nodes, as well as the RD2322 RxD’s ability to operate as a Remote MACPHY device, to make a smooth and efficient transition to our network of the future.”

Mediacom will deploy CommScope RD2322 RxDs as Remote MACPHY Devices, simultaneously evolving its existing 1 GHz OM4100 Optical Nodes with a simple field upgrade to 1.2 GHz OM4120 Optical Nodes with 204 MHz high-split operation in the upstream, the companies said. The node upgrade, combined with Mediacom’s continued migration to DAA, will enable the more efficient use of RF spectrum, resulting in lower latency services and nearly symmetrical multi-Gigabit capacity on its residential networks. 

With a simple software-only upgrade, the RD2322 RxD provides unsurpassed flexibility enabling it to operate as either a Remote PHY Device—similar to what is being used to power Mediacom’s original 10G Smart Home trial—or as a Remote MACPHY Device, which will underpin Mediacom’s future network.

“Mediacom is one of the top cable operators in North America and a longstanding Hybrid Fiber Coax customer,” noted Guy Sucharczuk, senior vice president and general manager, Access Network Solutions, CommScope. “This agreement extends our strategic relationship to include CommScope’s industry-leading DAA Module solutions and demonstrates their unmatched extensibility in the next phase of network evolution. This is a significant step forward for Mediacom’s network, and it’s a showcase for how CommScope is equipping the world’s leading operators for the 10G future.”

MEDIACOM PARK, N.Y.—Mediacom Communications has announced that it has renewed its carriage agreement with Paramount Global.

The deal renews carriage rights for Paramount’s portfolio of broadcast, entertainment, news, and sports networks – including BET, CBS Sports Network, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian Channel, and others – as well as rights to ShowtimeOTT and retransmission consent rights to CBS broadcast stations owned and operated by Paramount.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

“We are pleased to announce our continued partnership with Paramount,” said Italia Commisso Weinand, executive vice president, programming & human resources, Mediacom Communications. “Thank you to the Paramount and Mediacom teams for their hard work and commitment to our relationship.”

MEDIACOM PARK, N.Y.—Mediacom Communications has announced substantial increases in download speeds at no additional charge for its most popular Xtream internet tiers.

The fifth largest cable operator in the U.S. said that the speed increases would impact more than 900,000 customers. 

“Similar to our 2021 launch of Xtream WiFi 360pro which is now being used in more than 50,000 homes and businesses served by Mediacom, these speed enhancements are being implemented to facilitate the seamless connection of more internet-enabled devices and enrich the consumer experience,” said John Pascarelli, Mediacom’s executive vice president of operations.

Mediacom reported that the following tiers will see faster speeds: 

• Download speeds for Access Internet 60 will rise to 100 Mbps, a 67% increase.
• Download speeds for Internet 100 will jump to 200 Mbps, a 100% increase.
• Download speeds for Internet 300 will move to 400 Mbps, a 33% increase.

In addition, Mediacom will be doubling the download speeds for the Connect2Compete Plus (C2C+) tier from 50 Mbps to 100 Mbps. 

C2C+ offers qualifying customers a complete high-speed broadband experience for just $30 per month. The service is designed to work in conjunction with the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which provides a corresponding $30 monthly benefit ($75 in Tribal Areas) to help eligible households pay for broadband access. 

The ACP benefit is available to households with income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or if a member of the household participates in SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, Lifeline or certain other federal programs.

Mediacom provides high-speed data, video and phone services to 1.5 million households and businesses across 22 states. 

BLOOMING GROVE, N.Y.—Just before the calendar flipped to 2021, 16 Tegna-owned stations across 11 markets went dark to Mediacom customers as the two sides were not able to reach a retransmission consent agreement before a Dec. 31, 5 p.m. ET deadline.

According to a statement on Mediacom’s website, it was ordered to stop carrying the Tegna stations, even though the company said it was offering to pay a “significant increase” for retransmission rights from the previous contract. “Under federal law, we can’t carry a station unless the owner grants us permission to do so.”

Mediacom says that Tegna is asking for “unacceptable” price increases, which it says are “uncalled for and unjustified” amidst the ongoing pandemic.

Tegna, in messages on its stations’ websites, says that it is seeking a “fair, market-based agreement,” and that it has deals in place with other distributors in the impacted areas.

“We are committed to reaching a fair, market-based agreement with all the video service providers in our area,” Tegna said via the station websites. “Our track record proves it. Over the past few years, we’ve reached hundreds of multi-year deals with cable and satellite companies all across the country …” 

Tegna offered this official statement as well:

“TEGNA has been working hard to reach a fair, market-based agreement with Mediacom. Unfortunately, Mediacom has not actively engaged in negotiations with us since last Thursday’s agreement deadline passed, and our stations went dark on their system. This means that Mediacom subscribers do not have access to our high-quality news, sports, weather and entertainment programming.  

While we remain hopeful this will get resolved quickly, Mediacom viewers should know our channels remain available on virtually every other service provider in their community, as well as many streaming services that offer instant access when viewers sign up. Viewers can also watch our newscasts live on our stations’ websites, Roku and mobile apps.”

Tegna, however, did just end a three-week blackout dispute with AT&T’s DirecTV just before Christmas.

Mediacom, meanwhile, has also been battling with other station owners, narrowly avoiding a blackout of Gray TV stations prior to the end of 2020.

Here is a list of all the stations impacted by the Tegna/Mediacom blackout:

• WQAD (ABC), Davenport, Iowa; Rock Island and Moline, Ill. 
• WOI (ABC), KCWI (The CW), WOID4 (COZI TV), Des Moines and Ames, Iowa 
• WZDX (Fox), Huntsville and Decatur, Ala. 
• WHAS (ABC), Louisville, Ky. 
• WMAZ (CBS), WMAZ2 (The CW), Macon, Ga. 
• KARE (NBC), Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. 
• WWL (CBS), New Orleans 
• WVEC (ABC), Norfolk, Portsmouth and Newport News, Va.
• KPNX (NBC), Prescott, Ariz. 
• KFMB (CBS), KFMBDT2 (The CW), San Diego 
• KSDK (NBC), St. Louis 
• KMSB (Fox), Tucson, Ariz. 

NASHVILLE, TENN.—RFD-TV, a national TV network dedicated to the rural and western lifestyle, is going HD on through Mediacom Communications. Mediacom will make the networks HD offerings across its entire national footprint.

The two sides have worked together since 2002, when Mediacom became the first cable system to distribute RFD-TV.

According to Mediacom, it serves about 1.3 million customers in markets primarily located in the Midwest and Southeast.